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DREW LEANED AGAINST THE WINDOW LEDGE AND watched Carolina get into the taxi and drive away
He was such a dick It would have cost hio ahead and do the advertising cah it once He knehat to expect And then it would be over, she’d have what she wanted, and he could go on and do his thing
But hell, ould he proe He wasn’t a winner Not this season, anyway She should go in another direction, get some famous model whose face would sell millions for her
He sat on his sofa and dropped his chin to his chest He felt washed-up and finished, like a loser And it had been a long daled it had taken a kick in the ass from Bill Briscoe to remind his that orth fighting for
Bill would kick his ass right now if he could see hi sorry for hiure out what the problem ith his play, or with his tea the wo here, and what else did he have to grab on to other than Carolina as an excuse for everything that was fked up so far about this season?
So else Bill would likely kick his ass over
His sto Bill around to seek advice froer Briscoe’s cell She answered on the third ring
"Well, hello, Dre are you?"
"I’ in there"
He didn’t want to ask the question, but he had to know "How’s Bill doing?"
"Hang on just a second, Drew"
He heard rustling, then a door closing
"He’s sleeping right now, so I didn’t want ood, Drew Doctors think the next week or two at er"
"Nothin’ for you to be sorry about It’s just his time The nice doctors down here have done all they could but there’s nothin’ left to be done It’s in God’s hands now"
"Is he in any pain?"
"No, honey They’ve got him medicated He sleeps a lot, smiles at hin’ about all the good times we had with all you boys"
Dreed past the lu to head down there tomorrow"
"You do that I know he’d love to see you beforewell, he’d love to see you"
"I’ll talk to you soon, Miss Ginger"
Drew hung up and got online, booked a flight to Houston, then called his coach, letting him know he’d miss practice tomorrow for family business He explained the situation, which his coach said was fine with him Drew promised he’d be back the next day
It was iood-bye while Bill was still around
The next ht to Houston and rented a car, then drove to MD Anderson He sat in the parking lot for fifteen et out of the damn car
He needed to see Bill He wanted to see him, but he didn’t know if he could handle this
He loved his parents, loved his dad, but Bill had always been like a second father to him He’d told all his deepest, darkest fears to Bill Briscoe Bill had seen hi when he thought he couldn’t become the man--the athlete--that he needed to be
And as he stood in the lobby in front of the elevators, Drew needed to be that ht now
He sucked in a breath and pushed the elevator button, taking it up to the floor where Bill’s roo hallway, the s hiot to Bill’s roo to crumble when he walked in
Fortunately, Haven opened the door, her gorgeous face a sweet balm to his tortured senses Her eyes widened and she threw her arlad to see you"
He put his arlad to see you, too"
She shut the door behind her "Dad will be really happy you came Gray came by last week So did Garrett Trevor was here the other day I swear a day doesn’t go by that one of the college boys doesn’t show up Soby hasto all of us I hope he knows that"
She squeezed his hand "He knows"
"Is he awake or is this a bad time?"
"He’s in and out a lot because he’s heavily medicated But come on in" She pushed the door open and led hi outside in the hall"
Ginger was sitting in a chair next to the bed, reading a book "Drew" With a wide s
He hugged her back, closing his eyes as he held on to her "Miss Ginger"
"Thank you for coo of him "Bill, are you awake? Drew’s here"
Drew turned his attention to Bill, who had lost even ht since the last ti there on the bed, his skin sallow and see over his bones Bill had always been so vital, so robust and full of life To see hi there like that was like a knife in his stoer et closer to Bill
Bill’s eyes were closed, so he grasped his hand "Hey, Bill"
Bill opened his eyes partway, looking confused
"It’s me Drew"
He blinked a few times "Drew? Hey, Drew" Then he san"